Just a few more hoops thoughts...

Sorry Butler, I gave your kids too much credit. NONE of these kids getting the spotlight were top 100 recruits.

Interesting article came out on Rivals yesterday about these relatively unknown Butler recruits who are now in the Final Four. Look at where they were ranked, largely b/c they did not play the AAU game. Also look to see how teams can make it far, despite the "disparity" in recruiting rankings, and perceived "talent" differential.

Butler built on young stars - College Basketball - Rivals.com

Also, it's important to retract my statement about Duke's recruits. Actually many if not MOST of Duke's kids were highly ranked. Many were McDonald's All Americans. That said, Coach K is going after very select kids to play in his system. ...

In Trent we trust... :thumb:opcorn::thumb:

 

ARGGHHH!!!!

Well, the McD A-As won... by two points.

Valiant effort Butler Bulldogs. Hayward, Nored and Mack are gamers. Again, you'd love to see Stringer, Miller and Derenbecker hustle and play d like those kids.

You almost pulled it off. Down with the dukies!

 

find me another team in the title game in the past 35 years where that was the case.

This was a once in a million type of team.

I agree with the style and way Butler and Duke both play, but I won't pretend that the Butler's and Gonzaga's of the world cut down the nets every year.

 

No doubt. As LSU knows, it's one thing to make the final four it's another to win it all. I suppose you can look at Villanova, NC State, perhaps. Those were perhaps some of the huger "underdogs" to win it all, where the teams were not particularly talented. Although both teams had at least one player of notariety. But, is the players that make the team or team that makes the player? In hindsight, Butler certainly could have won the game (if they had, they would have likely gone down as the biggest upset in a title game), and if Gordon Hayward decides to leave early, he will likely be a first round pick. Is he really that talented, or did the success in the tourney make him a first round pick? I guess my point is that there is a fine line when you "evaluate" talent from one team to another. To win a national championship certainly the odds are in favor of talented teams, but talent is certainly not the end all be all, otherwise, Kentucky would have won it all.

As an aside, another point to look at next year in the SEC. No Varnado, No Cousins, now, No Ogilvy (See: 2theadvocate.com | Sports | Vanderbilt's Ogilvy to enter NBA draft — Baton Rouge, LA). Will there be any SEC team that starts a center taller than 6'9"? Perhaps Williams at Tennessee? So, LSU's team with Malcolm White in the middle and a bunch of wings and guards will look much like the rest of the SEC. And, a line up with White, Green, Harris, may make up one of the "biggest" front lines of anyone in the SEC. Amazing how quickly things turn in college, eh?

Ironically, LSU is after their own big man in Iowa State transfer, Justin Hamilton. At 6'11" 265, this kid should think about whether he'd rather play in the ACC (Virginia), or the SEC (LSU). The big men seem to shine in the SEC and then leave for the NBA, b/c there really aren't that many of them. Something to consider, I suppose.

 

Not really talked about on the board, but we are in the middle of the annual coaching carousel... SEC activity includes former Calipari assistant Tony Barbee, who has been at UTEP, getting a 6 yr deal at SEC West Auburn. $1.5M per year... and Auburn appears desparate for success.

Auburn University gives Tony Barbee 6-year, $1.5 million - ESPN

Of course, Jeff Lebo immediately landed at East Carolina.

And, there are plenty of high profile positions still open, Oregon, Wake Forest, etc. It's not always that easy to find that greener pasture on the other side of the fence...

 

youre right but don forget about sidney and orton, are thompkins and washington leaving?

 

Don't know for sure.... but, regardless, we have a center in years to come.

LSU basketball: Iowa State center Justin Hamilton transferring to LSU | - NOLA.com
:geauxtige:bball::LSU231:

 

Orton has already announced that he's part of the early defections from Kentucky. A back up to Cousins, Orton's projected as a late first rounder. Some things make no sense. Sidney, well, at this point, I'm not too scared. He could be still fighting with the NCAA and frankly, he's been out of ball for a year+. He's likely overweight and not advancing under Stansbury's watch...

 

Seems like he may have some potential. Good pick up for the tigers.

 

So, Spring signing day has come and gone, and much of LSU's fanfare was anti-climactic. Nevertheless, we shouldn't underestimate the signing of KC Ross-Miller (LOI was signed and sent in), and Justin Hamilton, who will get his scholarship papers when he transfers. I think both signings are underrated--because Miller is a very underrated PG, who can not only score driving to the hoop and shooting, but he's a more physically mature prospect who has a knack for penetrating and finding folks. While Andre Stringer plays "string music" with his limitless range, his 5'9" size will be an interesting challenge on the defensive end. The two will make a very nice complementary package for Trent at point for years to come. Hamilton has gotten plenty of pub recently. Given where college/nba recruiting of big men is today, at the center position, quite frankly, you're going to either have big men 1st rounders, or your going to have "journey men" projects. The number of Demarcus Cousins are few and far between, but there seem to be a multitude of 6'10", 6'11" big guys who just toil in obscurity. The nice thing about those guys is that one good year in college even landing a 15 ptg, 8 or 9 rbg, can lead to the NBA (see Brian Zoubeck of Duke). As long as those kids are getting stronger, showing skill development, a NBA team always needs a big body, rebounder, and a guy that can get to the line or hit some close in jumpers. That certainly is what Hamilton can become. At 6'11", 255 lb, he seems to have a little better agility than many big kids (for example, I see him as perhaps more agile than Ogilvy but not as strong yet). With some modest strengthening and conditioning (even adding 5-10 lb of muscle) and better polish on his post moves and playing with Trent's smart offense, his time at LSU will make him a good NBA prospect.

The big news yesterday on signing day was Kentucky and Calipari... two more top recruits sign/commit with the Big blue and follow the one and done gravy train... Brandon Knight (PG) and Michael Gilchrist (SF). Gilchrist is a junior 2011 recruit, but that surprised some people. The Calipari experiment continues...

Brandon Knight, one of the nation's prized recruits, added to Kentucky's 2010 class - ESPN
Kentucky lands a pair of No. 1 recruits on the same day - The Dagger - NCAAB Blog - Yahoo! Sports